The St. Paul Diet
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts Romans 13:14
Provision – It’s that last ten pounds. We start diets to lose weight. The first few pounds come off. Then we get invited to a dinner party or we go to the movies or we meet for lunch with our friends. Suddenly we are faced with a big problem. The menu doesn’t allow for the diet. All that good stuff we used to eat is right there in front of us. Now what?
Paul knew nothing about the South Beach Diet, but he knew a lot about his diet plan. His diet is not about weight loss and it doesn’t start with calorie counting. It begins in the mind. Paul’s spiritual diet is about lustful anticipations. Paul tells us to make absolutely certain that we make no allowances for the “just in case” behaviors that destroyed our lives in the first place.
The alcoholic who keeps just one bottle in the bottom drawer just in case problems overwhelm him. The drug addict who keeps that distributor’s number just in case he has a really bad night. The man who keeps a photo of a past mistress. The woman who holds on to a past romance from long ago. The businessman who squirrels away some hidden, unreported income. The church member who has a secret chat room ID he swears he will never use again. You can add your own “provisions” to the list. The best ones are secrets kept in plain sight. As Stevie Ray would say, “Things that I used to do.”
Paul says, “No! Don’t even allow the slightest possibility.” Actually, the Greek word is pronoian, a word derived from “before” and “to think”. In other words, don’t think about it beforehand. Don’t plan for the possibility of lusts (literally, sarkos – the flesh). Just thinking about it brings back emotions that can trip you up. Turning those things over in your mind, anticipating that they will one day once again be possible, is a very dangerous behavior. Why? Is it because God doesn’t want you to remember some past pleasure with nostalgic fondness? Is it because God is a cruel taskmaster who just wants your total obedience to His next order? Of course not. Paul gives these instructions because he knows that God’s perfect purposes worked out in your life are the very best circumstances for you. God is conforming you to the image of His Son. That process leads away from past sinful actions and future, anticipated sins. It is a singular focus on the will of the Father in your life. Here Paul would say, “Forgetting what lies behind, I press on.” If Paul were writing a weight loss book, he would tell you to stay away from the restaurants, dinner parties and theaters. He would cross off every McDonald’s and prohibit all snacks. But since he is writing about our spiritual well-being, you will have to fill in the “don’t go there” list.
I am sure you agree. God wants your best and engineers your life to bring about what is best for you in the fulfillment of His purposes. But that requires concentration on Him and denial of self. Anticipating “just in case” behaviors is a sign of unbelief and distrust. It just doesn’t fit. So, don’t allow it.
Every diet plan is unique to the individual because every one of us has a unique set of propensities and past experiences. But in total they are all common to the human frame. So, lean on each other. Share your burdens. Lift up each other. Build safety nets in your community. We are all in this together and when it comes to spiritual health, we all need plenty of help.
Topical Index: provision, backup plans, pronoian, think, Romans 13:14
An excellent word, Skip, and a very important one, thank you.
John
It has been said, “you are what you eat.” And also as we all (Fred Murtz lookalikes) can testify.. “it all adds up.” A calorie here, a calorie there- “do the math.” We are instructed in G-d’s book: “eat that which is good”, while at the same time consuming massive quantities of J-U-N-K. food, so readlily available on nearly every corner. It seems it’s getter more and more difficult to find the “good stuff.” You know- slow cooking like Grandma used to do. Everything today is zapped in the microwave, placed under a heat lamp, and glopped on your tray. Whatever happened to fresh?? “Thy words were found.. and I did “eat them”, and they became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart”, “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb”..”Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Now.. “what did you say the name of that restaurant was again”?
Smiling Large right about now. Sounds like a recipe for daily, moment by moment spiritual vitality!
He has made me glad!!
What a great post. So glad I’m in this group. I get so much encouragement from all of you. Thanks. Especially Skip, thank you.
This is great information for me. Occationally, I do prepare things for my family beforehand, Yeah, just in case. Of course, I plan a head for myself from time to time. Yeah, just in case. Well, I totally agree with Skip. Thanks.
Skip … this message got me wondering!
Would you consider this to be analagous to Mashiach exhorting us in Matthew: 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Is Paul exhorting the same type of discipline to us …. essentially telling us to kill off or cast off what causes us to stumble?
A simple case in point. Let’s say I have a HBO movie package with my cable tv service. Well some of these movies are simply filthy and not for consumption as we all know. I of course can choose not to view these types of movies and I don’t but still …. there is the possibility and sometimes just channel surfing can get you an eyeful and earful in an instant …. Generally speaking should we as believers not give ourselves the option to view this stuff …. based on the post this morning it sounds like maybe we should not!
This is my experience as a recovering sinner (surprise!). the biggest issues in my life come from things that clutch and claw at me from the past. If I make any provision for them, I usually fall. I am ruled by the tyranny of self so I cannot rescue myself. I am my own prisoner. So, I need to give the key to someone else – Yeshua. And He has to decide what I will pay attention to. Generally, He tells me to stay away from those things that overpowered me in the past because I have already shown that I can’t handle them.
Each one of us has our own little list of provisions. Yours are not the same as mine (I hope). But whatever they are, Paul tells us to stay as far away as possible – and when you can’t, plead for mercy and run to the Master.
Was kind of hoping for a generalized rule of thumb here …. but your answer was safe and sufficient. I do understand that we can’t possibly shield ourselves physically from all the stumbling blocks in this difficult world. So the advice is good advice …. make darn sure to stay away from the ones that attack our weaknesses most. And I guess we should at least know what these are!
I suppose you are right in the end …. what I may have problems with someone else may not even have cause for fear and or temptation.
Thanks for the response!
1. He who would not fall- ought not to walk in slippery places.
2. YWYH in His Sovereign wisdom wired us to only be able to think one thought at a time..
3. If we are diligently seeking Him and (purposefully/willfully) choose to praise Him at all times and in every situation, and learn to meditate upon what He has said and allow His Holy Breath to inhabit His purchased possession, the Helper will come to our rescue and succour, strengthening us to know and to do that which pleases our Father.
4. We must learn to discriminate. Yes, it is a good thing to be able to make a choice. Within the breast of every man is the ability to determine the worth or value of something or someone. We must refuse the bad and choose the good. G-d will reveal “that which is good.”
5. We need to learn the “pace of the race”. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We are in this for the duration and G-d has promised to see us through to the end. The words of the Christ are vital and crucial to our peace and prosperity. His words give life.